"Probe Into Case Of Two Lawyers"

The Attorney-General (A-G) has directed the police to conduct further investigations into the case involving the two lawyers, Joseph Kwame Owusu Asamani and Ekow Amua-Sekyi, who are standing trial at an Accra Circuit Court for forgery and fraud. The investigator of the case, DSP Felix Mawusi, yesterday told the court presided over by D.E.K Daketsey that the docket on the case was forwarded to the A-G based on which it advised that further investigations be conducted into the case. No reasons were assigned and the court consequently adjourned the case to August 27, and asked the prosecution to inform the accused persons who did not show up in court, of the date in order for them to appear. Asamani and Amua-Sekyi are alleged to have forged the judgment of a High Court Judge, Mr Justice Ofori-Atta, compelling Howard Eric Ewen, Managing Director of Keegan Resources, to issue a cheque of 850,000 dollars to Asamani. Amua-Sekyi signed as witness when the money was received by Asamani. They are charged for conspiracy, forging judicial service writ of summons, deed of assignment documents and uttering forged documents. The prosecution said that on March 14, 2007, Asamani, acting as lawyer for Axex Company Limited, obtained judgment in a suit against Kwame Opoku and two other defendants. After the judgment, Asamani allegedly conspired with Amua-Sekyi, counsel for the complainant, Mr. Samuel Etroo, a businessman in Tarkwa, and forged a suit number BMIS 350/07. They further gave a title of the writ as Axex Company Limited and fraudulently inserted SAMETRO Company Limited as the fourth defendant in the writ although the company was not a defendant in the suit. Prosecution said that on March 18, 2007, the two persons forged a judgment titled Axex Company Limited versus four other defendants and inserted an order by Mr Justice Ofori Atta for the recovery of a mine known as Esaase Gold Mine. In addition, they prepared a Deed of Assignment unknown to the complainant, scanned his signature on it and registered it at the Lands Registry and presented same to Ewen, who also signed. The two lawyers without the knowledge of Mr Etroo and Mr Opoku, initiated a civil suit number BL35/07 and initialed it as Kwame Opoku versus SAMETRO Company Limited. The two appeared before another Judge, Mr Justice Lartey Young on March 20, 2007 where Amua-Sekyi made certain admissions upon which the trial judge ordered that Bonte Esaase Mine be assigned to Kwame Opoku. With that judgment, the accused persons obtained the consent of the then Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines to assign Esaase Mines to Mr. Ewen of Keegan Resources. On June 18, 2007, Mr Ewen issued Stanbic Bank cheque for 850,000 dollars to Asamani to complete the fraudulent assignment of Bonte Gold Mine from Mr Etroo to Mr Ewen and on June 18, 2007, Asamani issued a hand written receipt and Amua-Sekyi signed as witness according to the prosecution.